Tail Light Mod?

[eeyoreish]

OK, so I should probably have better things to do, but...

Inspired by seeing the Esprit scene from Pretty Woman again recently I quite fancy converting my rear lights to US spec, where the fog lamps operate as additional tail and brake lamps. I.e. I would have twin tail lamps and twin brake lamps either side.

For MOT and 'doing it right' purposes I'd also want the inner brake lights to still work as fog lamps.

Assuming I can get hold of a couple of extra stop/tail bulb holders, can anyone tell me how I would wire this? There's a piece on LEW about twinning the brake lamps but the wiring required isn't clear and it doesn't include twinning the tail lamps with new bulb holders.

[Barrykearley]

Simple to do im sure. The lamps that are currently in the holes - are they twin filament or single ? I've never looked 

[eeyoreish]

Single I think, just the 21w fog. The US rear lamps have specific part numbers so I'm guessing that different bulb holders and wiring (presumably without fogs in the US) is why.

Finding the new bulb holders might be the trickiest part unless they're the same as any other Toyota of that era.

[Barrykearley]

I'd have thought they are just standard Toyota ones - are the lamp holder holes all the same size ?

I'd happily do mine as well - let me know once you've found some lampholders !! eBay must have them

[eeyoreish]

Just had a look at the back of the lamp and the fog is definitely a single filament 21w. Interestingly though, the back of the fog is marked for the Euro, Japan and US bulb specs so the stop/tail type holder must clip straight in.

The lamp itself is marked 'Japan IKI', which I assume is the maker.

The stop/tail bulb holder looks like this so I guess stage 1 is finding a couple of these:

 

[Barrykearley]

Yep - just need some of them then - eBay time

[eeyoreish]

Bingo. 1990s Nissan Micra K10. Looks identical, even has the same white connector block. Some on eBay but they want £12 a side for the loom 

Ought to be plenty of those in the scrappy...

[Escape]

IIRC, you can change the tail/brakelight holder with the one for the foglights. So you'd need 2 of those. I have a couple spare, from damaged lampassemblies. ;-)

As for wiring, double up on the wires for the tail/brakelights and add a diode to the inner brake lights so only those come one when you use the fog lights. so on the inner bulbs you'll have one wire for the 5W taillight (RB) and 2 wires connected for the 21W brake/foglight, one the standard foglight wire (RY) and one wire with a diode between outer and inner brakelights (GP). The 15A fuse for the brakelights will suffice, but is shared by the hazard switch, so with the 4 indicators on as well you could have a problem.

Interesting project, I've had the same idea, also when seeing Pretty Woman (only watched the first 15min, until the Esprit passed out of view :-p).

Filip

[eeyoreish]

Looks like I might have started something!

Are your stop/tail bulb holders going spare or are you keeping hold of them?? 

[Barrykearley]

@swindon_alan - mate we need your help here. EBay's gonna crash with lamp holder searches !!

[Escape]

Neil, I just had a look in my box with spare parts. I only have one stop/tail bulb holder unfortunately. If I do the mod, I'd only double the brake lights, not the tail lights, so I don't need it. So do let me know if you have trouble finding some over there.

Correction to my earlier post, on RHD the brakelights are powered by fuse 16, shared with the reversing lights, not the indicators. At 15A there's enough reserve to add 2 extra brake bulbs.

Filip

[eeyoreish]

Thanks Filip. Pleased to find that I'm not the only Pretty Woman fan!

Plan A involves finding a K10 Micra in the scrappy. 

Plan B involves finding half a K10 Micra in the scrappy and asking you for the 2nd bulb holder.

Plan C involves Swindon's own Richard Gere @swindon_alan coming up trumps with an online source for the bulb holders that avoids me having to get my hands dirty... 

 

[swindon_alan]

Afternoon gents

@Barrykearley @eeyoreish

Apologies, I've been away in Norway for the weekend climbing mountains and have only just seen this.

Your wish is my command, will get onto it this evening

PS cracking idea by the way! If I can only find two then they are mine...

21 hours ago, Escape said:

Correction to my earlier post, on RHD the brakelights are powered by fuse 16, shared with the reversing lights, not the indicators. At 15A there's enough reserve to add 2 extra brake bulbs

Particularly if you are using LED replacement bulbs...

[swindon_alan]

Right then, my spade is now blunt from the digging. I insist that @eeyoreish buys me a new one as he started all this

After having a mosey around the original Toyota rear light options, looking at Missing Micras and all that jazz, something occurred to me and rung true. I've seen this type of bulb holder countless times before on various cars of many makes in the recent past. Lo and behold I was right, this seems to have become a "standard", perhaps the Japanese inspired it. I popped out to the V8 with the Verniers and measured the fog light holders up and indeed, 20mm hole and 26.5 mm holder diameter. Here you go then, options and only a couple of quid a pop:

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/twin-filament-offset-bayonet-pins-bulb-holder

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/Bulb-Holder-BAY15D.html

I know they are all the same because this one told me so:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Bulb-Holder-CONNECTOR-Indicator-Stop-Tail-Brake-Light-BAY15D-380-/262262811684

Mr Helpful adds a wiring diagram for those it would assist. Cheers for the cue Filip. 1N4001 diodes are available from Maplins for pence:

I will post some pics up of when I do mine, unless someone beats me to it. It won't be until it gets a lot warmer anyway!

Phillip Stuckey eat yer heart out...

[eeyoreish]

@swindon_alan thanks, you are a total leg end  Colour me happy!

I'll set about ordering up the bits as I've wanted to do this for a while. 

Here's that ace spade you wanted...

 

[Barrykearley]

Don't even bother going on eBay - I just bought the lot 

1n4001 on eBay - 99p for 10 with free postage !!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131439765751 

@swindon_alan yous the man- well done - I'm now thinking there's gonna be a few of these modded in the next few weeks

[eeyoreish]

I fear this may have backfired.

Now I can only stand out from the crowd by keeping my single stop/tail lights... 

[Barrykearley]

Fret not - you have no spoiler 

[eeyoreish]

Of course, silly me, I forgot how common those things are.

[eeyoreish]

Parts ordered. First one to do it posts pics!

Thanks again @swindon_alan epic work.

[Jacques]

no pics yet?

Jacques.

[swindon_alan]

1 hour ago, eeyoreish said:

I fear this may have backfired.

Now I can only stand out from the crowd by keeping my single stop/tail lights... 

Well you could try harder and get Julia Roberts to climb in the driver's seat in not much clothing and "handle" your stick shift for you. We would all be well impressed with that buddy...

[swindon_alan]

*** NOTE ***

Sorry, I have my "replace all filament bulbs with LEDs" head on here. DON'T use a 1N4001 with a 21W filament bulb as it is only rated for half that current and will probably melt!

If you insist on going old skool I can find a suitable power diode but you might need to put an heat sink on it. Otherwise, keep up with technology! 

[eeyoreish]

Do you have a decent LED bulb recommendation for the stop tails?

[swindon_alan]

Hello Neil

I've got the 50 LED SMD type in my original stop/tails and they work fine, give a good light output and look more like filament bulbs then the rearward facing only type. Something like these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-1157-BAY15D-T25-P21-5W-50-SMD-1206-LED-Brake-Turn-Stop-Tail-Light-Bulb-White-/282117834271

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-1157-BAY15D-T25-P21-5W-50-SMD-1206-LED-Brake-Turn-Stop-Tail-Light-Bulb-White-/252292341186